Fernando Alonso Names One Race That Will Make or Break Aston Martin and His Season

As the 2023 season began, Aston Martin emerged as the season’s surprise, with veteran Fernando Alonso at the helm. Achieving consistent podiums in the initial races, the British team looked on track to fight for the constructor’s championship against Red Bull. However, things have gone downhill for them in recent months, with inconsistency becoming the new norm. Despite the hiccups, Alonso names the one race that will definitively make or break Aston Martin’s season via SoyMotor.

Starting the season on a high, Aston Martin was once second in the constructor’s championship, while Alonso was also on the podium in the driver’s standings. However, a mid-season slump saw the driver and the team fall in rankings as Mercedes and Ferrari overtook them. There was some damage control by the team in the middle stages, but Lance Stroll’s inconsistency cost them greatly, as Aston Martin could never recover with only one driver bringing them all the points.

As such, Alonso agrees his team will not be able to catch up to the ones above them and shifts his focus to an achievement that could label the season- successful.

Fernando Alonso names the ‘make or break’ race for Aston Martin

After an incredible start to the season, Aston Martin has only gone down. Despite Alonso bringing in points and podium finishes, Stroll’s inconsistency cost them greatly as Aston Martin find themselves in fourth position in the constructor’s standings.

The British team has also fallen behind in the development race, rendering them unable to fight for podiums in the final few races of the season. However, SoyMotor quotes Alonso about the one race in UAE that will define Aston Martin’s 2023 season.

“We always watch the last race. If in Abu Dhabi we achieved the only podium of an entire season we would say that It was a good year. And if we get eight podiums this year, we finish third or fourth in the drivers’ World Championship, and in Abu Dhabi I retire, it seems that it has been a bad season.”

Alonso’s latest comments signify a sharp change in his personal goals from the start of the year. The 42-year-old has one of the longest careers in the sport, but his numbers do little justice to the icon’s legacy. Given the same, he wanted to add another race-win to his cap but has now put the dream on the back burner.

’33’ no more the dream for Alonso in ’23

In over 20 years of F1 racing, Alonso has won 32 races. Despite having one of the worst win rates in the sport’s history, Alonso remained confident of being able to register win number 33 during his first year with Aston Martin. However, the latest comments from Alonso do not exude the same optimism, and it looks like the Asturian driver will not push for a race win this year.

However, Alonso also claimed that had his team kept up in the development race through the season, they could have won more podiums if not races.

 

🇪🇸🗣️| Fernando Alonso:

“The 33 has been taken up by the team and we are going to try it every weekend, even if it’s impossible.

“Everything I do in life is because I think I’m going to win.“ pic.twitter.com/Fda8kp7RUF

— Aston Martin Formula 1 News (@AMF1News) August 7, 2023

Regardless of what happens in Abu Dhabi, Aston Martin will still be proud of what they achieved in the first half of the season. Keeping the same in mind, the British team will look to make an even stronger comeback in the 2024 season as they are increasingly becoming an outfit worthy of battling for the constructor’s championship.